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Cousin Junior

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Cousin Junior
Kean as "Big Daddy Cyrus" in Memphis in 1995
Birth nameLanny Neal Kean Jr.
Born(1960-03-19)March 19, 1960
Jamestown, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedJanuary 13, 2009(2009-01-13) (aged 48)
Franklin, Indiana, U.S.
Cause of deathHeart attack
Children1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Big Daddy Cyrus[1]
Cousin Junior[1]
King Harley Hogg
Lanny Kean[1]
Moondog Cujo[1]
Ox Brody[1]
Billed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Billed weight354 lb (161 kg)
Billed fromMudlick, Kentucky
(as Cousin Junior)
Debut1983[1]

Lanny Neal Kean Jr. (March 19, 1960 – January 13, 2009) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1986 under the ring name Cousin Junior, as well as for his appearances on the independent circuit as Moondog Cujo, a member of The Moondogs.

Professional wrestling career

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Early career (1983–1984)

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Kean made his professional wrestling debut in Kentucky in 1983, where he competed as "Luscious" Lanny Kean.

World Wrestling Federation (1984–1986)

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In 1984, Kean began wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as a jobber, performing as Lanny Kean. In 1985, he was given the gimmick of Cousin Junior, a member of Hillbilly Jim's hillbilly family stable.[2] The Hillbilly family were portrayed as simple rural Southerners who performed square dances in the ring.[3][4] They feuded with wrestlers including Jesse Ventura, Bob Orton, Jr., and Roddy Piper.[4] Kean's character was modeled on the character of Jethro Bodine from the television program The Beverly Hillbillies.[2] Kean left the WWF in 1986.[2][5]

Independent circuit and hiatus (1986–1992)

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In 1986, Kean joined the Continental Wrestling Association under the ring name Hillbilly Junior, where he formed a tag team with Giant Hillbilly. The duo won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship on August 30, 1986, by defeating the Fire and Flame.[6] Kean wrestled sporadically on the independent circuit throughout the mid-1980s, including in the NWA in 1988 under the name Cousin Junior once again.

United States Wrestling Association (1992 - 1997)

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In 1992, Kean joined the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) as Moondog Cujo, a member of The Moondogs.[2]

Later, he was renamed Big Daddy Cyrus and feuded with Jerry Lawler, who held the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.[1][7] He formed a tag team with Crusher Bones in 1995, main-eventing the Mid-South Coliseum against the likes of Lawler, Bill Dundee, and Sid Vicious.[1] In 1996 he lost to John Tenta on WCW Saturday Night.[8] In 1997, Dutch Mantel gave Kean the ring name "Bloody" Ox Brody, which was a tribute to Ox Baker and Bruiser Brody.[1][2]

Hiatus and later career (2007-2008)

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Kean took several years off of wrestling but decided to return to competition as Moondog Cujo. In one match on April 27, 2007, after his comeback, Moondog Cujo Managed by Sal Corrente defeated The Barbarian in a Hardcore match in Memphis Wrestling.[1] He also resumed his feud with Lawler.[2] Kean wrestled his last match on December 6, 2008, in a tag match.[9]

Personal life

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Kean lived in Jamestown, Kentucky with his fiancée Sandra Deel. He had a daughter named Krystal.

On January 13, 2009, Kean died of a heart attack in Franklin, Indiana at age 48.[1][2]

Championships and accomplishments

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Lanny Kean's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Oliver, Greg (January 13, 2009). "Lanny Kean, a.k.a. Cousin Junior, dies". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  3. ^ Reynolds, R. D. (2003). WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 31. ISBN 1-55022-584-7.
  4. ^ a b Oliver, Greg. "Cousin Luke made a lasting impression". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Oliver, Sean (Director) (2012). Timeline: The History of WWE - 1986 - George Steele (DVD). 6:23 minutes in.
  6. ^ a b "NWA (Mid-America)/AWA Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  7. ^ "Wrestler Results Archive: Jerry "The King" Lawler". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ Cawthon, Graham. "WCW: 1996". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
  9. ^ Kelley, Brian (January 15, 2009). "In Honor of Moondog Cujo (Lanny Kean Jr)". MissouriWrestlingRevival.com.
  10. ^ Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  11. ^ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  13. ^ "Awards « Cousin Junior « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  14. ^ "Larry Booker's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
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